Pick Me Up Written On The Ride To My Annoying Part Time Job

Fashion is arguably one of the most mentally detrimental fields to work in.

Working in fashion you will doubt yourself a billion times before you “make it” and a million times once you have. Many people in the fashion industry turn to drug, alcohol, or a combination of the both to numb themselves from the detriments that this industry will inevitably impose on every person who enters its embrace.

I myself could be at the highest of highs and am always one cancellation, or one email with bad images from literally becoming depressed and doubtful.

Oftentimes I am not the biggest fan of my own work. I work at it and work at it and look at these amazing inspiration images, gather a talented team, and I can NEVER create the type of imagery that I feel equates to where I want to be as a stylist. See this quote below:

“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. BUT THERE IS THIS GAP. For the first couple years you make stuff it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good. BUT IT’S NOT. It has potential. But your taste,  the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. AND YOUR TASTE IS WHY YOUR WORK DISAPPOINTS YOU.  A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn't have this SPECIAL THING that we want it to have. You gotta know it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is a LOT OF WORK. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story, it is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap. And your work will be as good as your ambitions” – Ira Glass

I don’t know Ira, but thank you very much for that quote. I’m glad to have that to refer to on days like this when compared to another stylist I feel incompetent and untalented.  When you see someone who is doing what you want to do and they are accessible to you it’s difficult to humble yourself to understand that it’s okay, everything takes time. I have only been in New York for 3 months and I have worked on some incredible projects so more than anything I should be grateful. And I am, but I have been styling for 3 years…. But not consistently and not in New York. I just want to be AMAZING and I’m not yet. Not to me….not where I feel I am equal in talent to someone I meet on the street. I need to work harder at this, do more research, invest more time in learning collections and networking in person versus networking online. One day I’ll reach that point. Today isn't that day.

Curated images from my inspiration folder.